Torres & Walker Lead Travs To 7-2 Win
Published on August 5, 2009 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI - Last week Alexander Torres and Brian Walker were playing for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Tuesday night at Hammons Field, they starred for the Arkansas Travelers as Walker drove in three runs helping Torres win in his double-A debut as the Travs picked up a 7-2 victory over the Springfield Cardinals. Starting his second game since being called up from class A, Walker drove in his first run with a double and capped off his night with a bases-loaded single in the eighth. Torres, who was 10-3 at Rancho Cucamonga, left the game after pitching 5.2 innings allowing two runs on five base hits with three strikeouts against four walks.
Eight of nine starters reached base with Coby Smith, Ryan Mount and Walker each contributing two base hits. Smith homered (6) in the ninth inning to bring home the Travs last run. Defensively the Travs turned four double plays including three in the first four innings.
With wins in eight of 12 games including a 4-1 record on their current road trip, the Travs move to just two games out of third place and 6.5 games out of first.
After right hander Brandon Dickson (L, 7-7) held them scoreless in the first inning, the Travs rallied for three runs in the second. Hank Conger, starting at designated hitter, drew a one-out walk and moved to second base on a single by Mount. Gutierrez fell behind 1-2 before slashing a base hit past first and down the right-field line where it got past Tyler Henley to the fence. Both runners scored as Gutierrez got to third base with his first triple. Walker followed with a liner over Henley's head for a book-rule double and a 3-0 lead.
Torres issued a walk to begin the third inning to Pete Kozma who scored when Aaron Luna doubled to the left-field corner. Jim Rapoport, who finished 3-for-4, laid a bunt along the third base line for a single to get the tying run on base. Torres uncorked a wild pitch that bounced off Walker to the right of the batter's circle scoring Luna, and as Walker recovered the ball he threw wildly past home plate allowing Rapoport to reach third base with only one out. The Travs kept the lead though thanks to Nate Sutton and Walker. Steven Hill hit a high fly out to right field where Sutton made the catch and fired a one-hop throw to the plate as Walker reached out and tagged Rapoport to end the inning with a 3-2 Travs lead.
The Travs got a leadoff double from Mount in the fourth, but Dickson settled in and retired ten consecutive batters. Torres got another double play on a grounder hit by Tyler Henley to erase a leadoff walk in the fourth. He left two runners on base in the fifth inning when Colt Sedbrook grounded out.
A two-out double by Henley chased Torres from the game in the sixth inning, but Fernando Rodriguez held the lead by striking out Nick Derba on three pitched. Rodriguez tossed 2.1 shutout innings of relief lowering his ERA to 1.61 over 13 appearances.
The Travs went from the fifth through the seventh with no base hits, but they rallied for three more runs in the eighth against Cards reliever Marco Gonzalez. Sutton drew a one-out walk and took third base on Mark Trumbo's team-high 26th double. Conger was walked intentionally to load the bases for Mount, and he responded with a sacrifice fly to score Sutton. Gutierrez took Gonzalez's third walk of the inning to reload the bases and Walker found a gap on the right side of the infield for a two-run single and a 6-2 lead.
Smith's ninth inning home run off Chuckie Fick capped the Travs scoring at a 7-2 lead.
Bobby Cassevah pitched around three walks in the ninth inning to get Rapoport on a bases-loaded double play to end the game.
Time of game was 2:54 and the paid attendance was 6,399.
The Travs and Cards are back to Hammons field on Wednesday night for the second game of this series. Arkansas has right hander Tim Kiely (3-1, 5.02) pitching against Springfield's lefty Ryan Kulik (4-7, 5.07). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.
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